Apparatus for handling material



Jan. 19, 1932. o. s. BAKER APPARATUS FOR HANDLING MATERIALS Filed May 9, 1929 3 sheetssheet 1 1 ATTORNEYv Jan. 19, 1932.

D. S. BAKER APPARATUS FOR HANDLING- MATERIALS Filed May 9, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Jan. 19, 1932. D. s. BAKER v 5 1,842,231

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING MATERIALS Filed May 9, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I vi I l I L Q1 'L m f i l i 1 F i L l x i i i r f M '6 I \1 (I L I j [{5 I ed Q iv 5 7 3 'Q' I i x l m a; Q \\\\(A f Q 7-.

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I I; 'fi Ii di INVENTOR h] g v I aw-wavy ATTORNEY V,

Patented Jan. 19, 1932 PATENT OFFICE DAVID S. BAKER, OF GREENWICH, CONNECTICUT APPARATUS FOR HANDLING IEATERIAL Application filed. May 9, 1929. Serial No. 361,597.

This invention relates to apparatus for handling materials, and aims to facilitate the movement, and more particularly the treatment, of materials.

The invention relates to apparatus of the type described and claimed in Baker Patent No. 1,672,404, in which a number of wheeled collapsible carriers, each provided with a number of carrying elements, are moved in a closed circuit in such manner as to place the carrying elements in edge-to-edge relation at a loading station, in superimposed relation in a treatment space, and in a vertical position at a dumping station.

Each carrier shown in said patent was provided with three pairs of wheels of three different gauges so arranged that the relation of these three pairs of wheels controlled the position and relation of the carrying elements of the carrier. In my co-pending application, Serial No. 361,383 filed May 8, 1929, I have described an improved handling apparatus providing, for such carriers, a track circuit in a vertical plane, including three substantially continuous tracks of different gauges for the three pairs of wheels of the carriers.

The object of my present invention is further to simplify such handling apparatus. In accordance with the invention, this is accomplished by making the two upper pairs of wheels of each carrier of the same gauge and providing a closed track circuit in a vertical plane including only two tracks. One of these tracks supports the two upper pairs of wheels of the carrier, and is provided with branches and switches which permit moving these two pairs of wheels in separate paths where necessary.

Other objects and advantages of the invention are hereinafter described in connection with a detailed description of a practical embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a fragment of the track circuit for the carriers;

Fig. is diagrammatic side elevation of the entire track circuit indicating difi'erent positions taken by a carrier in passing around the circuit;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammaticside elevation of a system of chain conveyors which may be utilized to move the carriers around the track circuit shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the rails of the track circuit shown in Fig. 2, looking out- Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of one of the swiitches and the parts of the rails near it; an

Fig. 7 is a plan View of one of the carriers in loading position.

The apparatus illustrated includes a large number of collapsible carriers 10, each provided with a plurality of carrying elements such as trays 20, and means for moving these carriers in a closed circuit which takes each tray past a loading station L, through a treatment space T, to a dumping station D, and back to the loading station L.

The carriers 10, like those shown in Baker Patent No. 1,672,404, consist essentially of carrying elements or trays and connecting members hinged together in parallelogram arrangement. The construction of a carrier 10 isbest shown in Fig. 7. The carrier has so a connecting member 11 consisting of rigid side bars 12, 12, joined by tie rods 13, and a connecting member 14 consisting of side bars 15, 15, joined by tie rods 16. A number of trays 20 are hinged to the connecting members 11, 14. Each tray, except the upper one 20a, has on its bottom two spaced cross bars 21 which are pivoted on the tie rods 13, 16 of the connecting members. The upper tray has side-pieces 22 rigidly secured to it, and hinged to the upper ends of the side bars 12, 12 of the connecting member. 11 by pivots 13, and to the upper ends of the side bars 15, 15 of the connecting member 14, by pivot rods 16. The distance between the adjacent pivot of each connecting member is equal to the length Z of one of the trays 20, so that the trays may be brought into edge-to-edge relation in a common plane by bringing the connecting members together.

Each tray is provided at one edge with a lip 23 which overlaps the adjacent edge of the next tray when the trays are in edge-to-edge relation. The upper tray has a lip 24 at its other edge to overlap the lip 22 of the lowest tray 205 at the loading station (Fig. 7).

Each carrier is provided with three pairs of wheels A, B and C. The wheels A. are co-axial with the hinge pivots 16 which connect one of the carrying elements, 20a, and one of the connecting members, l l. The wheels B are secured on this carrying element 200. at a distance from the wheels A, and the wheels C are mounted on this connecting member let at a distance from the wheels A. The wheels C may be mounted on the lowest of the rods 16 as shown. The wheels B may be coaxial with the pivots 13 but, because of the provision of the rigid side-pieces 22 on the upper tray 20a, may be placed further from the axis of the wheels A, as shown, to give greater stability to the carrier.

To provide for engagement of the carriers by the flights of chain conveyors, the wheels A have projecting axles A extending over the chains of a wide-gauge conveyor 50, in-

dicated by dot and dash lines in Fig. 7 and hereinafter described; and the wheels C have projectingzaxlesG extendingover the chains of a narrow-gauge conveyor 60, indicated by dot and dash lines in Fig. 7 and hereinafter described. Theside-pieces 22 are cut away to expose the axles B of the wheels B -to the flights of the conveyor 60 and containgrooves 25to permit the flights to reach these axles without interference.

The relative :position of the pairs of wheels A, B and C determines the position of the trays 20 and their relation to each other. The pairsof wheels A and B are of the same gauge, while the pairs of wheels C are of a narrower gauge. A traci a is provided for supporting the wheels A and B, and a track cola narrower gauge is provided for supporting the wheels C.

The arrangement of the two tracks may best be understood from the diagrammatic views, :Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 1 serves merely to indicate two different kinds of lines by which the wideegauge track a and the narroiwgange track 0 may be identified in the side elevation, Fig. '2. The track a is indicated by a dash line, track 0 by a dot line, and a dot and dash line is used in the side elevation to indicatethe portions or" thetracks a, and cwhich are coplanar.

From Fig. 2, it will be seen that at the loading station 'L, the two tracks are horizontal and in the same plane, being represented by the line acl. Beyond the loading station, the track a has a horizontal portion 02, while the track 0 has a downwardly inclinedportion 02 at the entrance to the treatment space T and a horizontal portion 03 below the level of the portion a2 of the track a. and separated from this portion of the track a by a vertical distance less than the length of a connecting member of one of the carriers. In the lower part of the treatment space, the tracks (L and 0 have horizontal portions (A, 0st, separated by the same vertical distance. The right-hand ends of the upper and lower horizontal portions a2, ad of the track a are connected by two parallel inclined and curved branches a5, a5 which are separated by a horizontal distance equal to tl e distance between the pairs of wheels A and E. The outer branch a5 is connected to the end of the upper portion (12 by a switch a6 and directly joins the end of the lower portion ml, while the inner branch a5 directly oins the end of the upper portion a2 and is co nected by switch (L7 to a point of the lower portion and at a little distance from its end. The upper and lower horizontal portions 03, cal of the track 0 are connected by an inclined portion 05 which contains a switch 03 the point at which it crosses the track a and a switch 07 at the point at which it joins the horizontal portionc l.

At the dumping station D, the track a has an upwardly inclined portion a8, two branches a9, (19, followed by a curved portion (110, and a horizontal portion all joining thehorizontal portion represented by the line (ml at the-loading station. On approaching the dumping station, the track 0 has an upwardly inclined portion -08, bringng it to the level of the lower horizontal portion alof the track a. The portion 08 of the track 0 lies in the same inclined plane as the portion (18 or" the track a. The track c then crosses the track at having a moresteeply inclined portion 09 curving into a horizontal portion 010 and an oppositely inclined portion all bringing it up to join the portion of the track '0 at the loading station, which is on a level with the track a and is represented by the line (101. The track 0 is provided with a switch 012 at the point at which it crosses the track a, and with a switch 013 where its incline all joins its horizontal portion 010.

The branch a9 of the track a extends on a line with the inclined portion a8 of the rock, but is separated from the end of the portion (18 by a break (1,12, and from the end of the curved portion 010 by a break (:13 bridged by a switch (1,14. The branch (19 is directly connected to the ends ofthe portions 08 and (all) of'the track (t. This branch has a downwardly inclined portion e9 bringing it to a pocket (19 which is below the break (112 and at a distance from it equal to the distance between the pairs of wheels A and B. Beyond the pocket (19 is a bump a9 and an upardly inclined portion (49* Which joins the end of the portion 0.10 of the track.

The positions which each carrier assumes in traveling around the circuit are indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 2 at 10a, 10?), etc. The diagrammatic indication of the carrier shows merely the positon of its wheels A, B and C, of its upper tray 20a, and of its connecting member 14:. It will be understood from the description of the carrier previously given, that all the trays of the carrier are at all times parallel to its upper tray 20a, and that its other connecting member 11 is at all times parallel to its connecting member 14. In the loading position indicated at 10a, the three pairs of wheels of the carrier are supported on the same level, so that the trays of the carriers are in edge-to-edge relation in a common plane. As the carrier proceeds to the right and enters the treatment space, its wheels C run down the incline 02 as shown at 10?), so that, when the carrier has entered the treatment space as shown at 100, its connecting members are inclined and its trays are horizontal and in stepped relation.

When the carrier reaches the right-hand end of the treatment space, its wheels C descend along the incline c5; and its wheels cross the switch (1 6, which is then automatically opened, so as to permit the wheels B to descend along the branch a5, while the wheels A descend along the parallel branch a5. As these branches are separated by a horizontal distance equal to the distance between the wheels A and B and are substantially parallel to the incline 05, the trays of the carrier are maintained in horizontal position and in stepped relation during its descent. Durlng the descent of the carrier, the switch 06 is automatically closed by the wheels 0 as they cross it and automatically re-opened to per mit the axles of the wheels A and B to pass through it, the switch a7 is opened by the wheels A after the wheels, B have passed over it, and the switch 07 is closed by the wheels 0, and automatically re-opened.

After the carrier has passed to the left through the lower part of the treatment space with its trays in stepped relation, its wheels A and B mount the incline a8 while its wheels C mount the incline c8 bringing the trays of the carrier into edge-to-edge relation in a plane slightly inclined to the horizontal. When the, wheels B of the carrier reach the break c112 at the end of the portion a8 of the track a, they drop down along the incline e9 of the branch a9 into the pocket a9? While the wheels B remain in this pocket, the wheels A may be moved across the break a12 onto the C branch a9, being supported in this movement by the upper tray 20a and its rigid side memi bers 22 which pivot around the axis of the wheels B. As the wheels A proceed up the branch a9, the wheels B remain in the pocket (L92 until they are pulled over the bump (2 9 The wheels A cross the switch (018 to the curved portion al() of the track a while the wheels B follow along the branch a9 and open the switch (Z13 to reach thecurve alt) of the track after the wheels A. The dropping of the wheels B into the pocketv (19 brings the trays of the carrier into a substantially vertical position, and the trays are slightly in verte'd and jounced as the wheels B are drawn over the bump 619 so that they are completely emptied at the dumping station. While the wheels A have been mounting the incline a8, a9 and passing around the curve (110, the wheels C have closed and crossed the switch 012 and been moved up the steep incline 09 under, and then over, the switch 013, and then up the incline 011, so that all three pairs of wheels are brought back to a common level at the loading station L.

The rails of the tracks a and 0 may be conveniently formed of angle irons, although other forms of rails may be used. Channel irons 29 and crescent-shaped members 30 may be conveniently used for the rails of the branches a5, a5 and the track a as shown in Fig. 4.

The construction of the automatic switches contained in the track circuit is shown in Figs. 4:, 5 and 6. The switches, a7, 013 and al which are normally closed, consist of simple pivoted arms which may be raised by wheels passing under them. The switch 07 consists of pivoted arms provided with counterweights 31 to hold them normally open. The switch 06 consists of pivoted arms also provided with counter weights 32 tohold them normally open, and pivoted tappet levers 33 are provided below this switch to insure its being thrown open by the wheels G after they have crossed them.

The switch 012 consists of arms pivoted to the upper ends of the rails of the portion 08 of the track 0 and provided with stops 3% which normally hold them in a horizontal position overlapping the upper part of the portion 08 of the trackc, so that the wheels (J may enter under them and tip them up. To insure immediate opening of the switch 012 after the wheels C have crossed it, counterweights 35 are pivoted on the pivots 36 of the switch arms and provided with stops 37 to engage the switch arms as soon'as these arms are moved to a vertical position by the wheels C. Further movement of the switch arms by the wheels C swings the counterweights 85 up and to the right, so that the counterweights act to throw the arms open as soon as the arms are released by the wheels The switch (16 is formed by two tilt tables 38 and 39 associated with each rail of the track a. Their fulcrums 40 and 41 are separated by the same distance as that between the axes of the pairs of wheels A and B. A link 42 connecting arms 43, A4, secured to the two tables, prevents them-from tilting independently of each other. A stop 45 is pro vided under the inner end of the table 3 8, and a stop 46 under the outer end of the table 39. WVhen the wheels A and B of a carrier reach the right-hand end of the horizontal portion a6 of the track a, the wheels B move onto the inner arm of the table 38 before the wheels A cross the fulcrum point of this table. The table 38 is thus held horizontal until the wheels A pass ofi its outer arm onto the inner arm of the table 89. \Vhile the wheels A are on the inner arm of the table 39 and the wheels B are on the inner arm of the table 38, the tables are held horizontal by the stop 45, but, as soon as the wheels cross the fulcrums of the two tables, both tables tip until the table 39 encounters the stop 46, so that the wheels B are directed to the branch a5, while the wheels A are directed to the branch a5. To prevent pren'iature tipping of the tables in case the weight is unevenly distributed between the wheels A and B, a guard rail 47 is provided above the tables to engage the upper sides of the wheels A and B and positively to prevent any tipping of the tables before the wheels reach their fulcrums.

Automatic movement of the carriers 10 along the tracks may be secured by interconnected conveyors operating in timed relation. The track arrangement which has been de scribed permits the use of a very simple conveyor arrangement, which is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 3. Only three conveyors are used, of which two, 50 and 60, operate at a relatively high speed for transferring the carriers between the upper and lower levels, while the third, 7 O, operates at a relatively low speed to move the carriers in both directions along the horizontal parts of the circuit. Each conveyor may consist of two chains having reaches lying close to a portion of one of the tracks, and provided with flights for engaging a part of the carriers 10. The chains of the conveyor 70 are positioned, as indicated by dot and dash lines in Fig. 7, so that their flights may engage the projecting axles C of the wheels C and the axles B of the wheels B inside the wheels. The chains of the conveyor are positioned, as indicated by dot and dash lines in Fig. 7, so that their flights may engage the projecting axles A of the wheels A. The chains of the conveyor 50 are of the same separation as those of the conveyor 60.

From the partial indication of the tracks in Fig. 3, the relation between the conveyors shown in F 3 and the track circuit shown in. Fig. 2 isapparent: To enable the conveyor 50 to transfer the carriers from the upper tracks to the lower tracks at the right-hand end of the treatment space, the chains of this conveyor follow the course of the track a at the right-hand end of its horizontal portion a2 and along its branch a5. To enable the conveyor 60 to transfer the carriers from the lower tracks to the upper tracks at the left-hand end of the apparatus and to move them past the loading station, the chains of this conveyor follow. the course of the track a at the left-hand end of its horizontal portion a l, at its inclined portion a8, at its branch a9, at its curved portion 6410, at its horizontal portion all, owl, and at the left-hand portion of its horizontal portion a2. To enable the conveyor 7 O to move the carriers to the right in the upper part of the treatment space and to the left in the lower part, its chains have upper reaches following the course of the horizontal portion 03 of the track 0 and lower reaches following the course of the horizontal portion a4: of the track a.

The speed of the conveyors is so related that the trays of the carriers are moved past the loading station closely spaced in single tile and through the treatment space closely spaced in multiple file. For this purpose, the speedof the conveyor 60, which moves the carriers past the loading station, is substantially equal to the speed of the conveyor multiplied by the number of trays in each carrie'. The speed of the conveyor 50 is preferably somewhat greater than that of the conveyor 60. In order that each carrier may be positively guided and timed throughout its circuit, the flights of the different conveyors are spaced apart by distances proportional to the speed of the conveyors.

Various forms of known mechanism may be used to operate the conveyors at the rela tive speeds specified. A mechanism suitable for this purpose is illustrated and described in my co-pending application, Serial No. 361,383 filed May 8, 1929.

Any desired or convenient form of mechanism may be provided for placing the material to be treated on the trays of the carriers at the loading station L, and for removing the material deposited from. the trays at the dumping station D.

lVhat I claim is:

1. The combination with a carrier having a plurality of carryingelements and connecting members hinged together in parallelogram arrangement and provided with two pairs of wheels of the same gauge and a third pair of wheels of a difi'erent gauge whose relation to the first two pairs of wheels controls the relation of the carrying elements of the carrier, of a closed track circuit in a vertical plane, comprising two substantially continuous tracks of different gauges (lifterently spaced from one another about said circuit so as to cause the carrying elements of the carrier to assume successively an edge-toedge loading position and a superimposed treatment position as the carrier is moved around the circuit.

2. The combination with a carrier having two pairs of wheels of the same gauge, of a closed loop of track in a vertical plane having two double portions consisting of branches separated oy a distance equal to that between the two pairs of wheels, and automatic means for causing the two pairs of wheels to follow different branches at the double portions of the track so as to cause two reversals of the relative position of the pairs of wheels as they pass around the loop of track.

3. The combination with a carrier having two pairs of wheels of the same gauge, of upper and lower tracks for said wheels a fixed inclined track connecting one end of the upper track with the lower track, a fixed parallel inclined connecting track spaced outwardly from the end of the upper track, a switch normally bridging the space between the end of the upper track and said second inclined track, and means for automatically opening said switch when the two pairs of wheels of the carrier are located respectively over the upper ends of said two inclined tracks.

l. The combination with a carrier having a plurality of carrying elements and connecting members hinged together in parallelogram arrangement and provided with two upper pairs of wheels of the same gauge and a lower pair of wheels of different gauge, of a track for the upper wheels consisting of upper and lower horizontal parts, an inclined part connecting one end of the upper part with the lower part, a parallel inclined part spaced outwardly from the end of the upper part, a switch normally bridging the space between the end of the upper part and said outer inclined part, and means for automatically opening said switch when the two upper pairs of wheels of the carrier are located respectively over the upper ends of said two inclined parts, and a track for the lower pair of wheels consisting of an upper part, a lower part and an inclined part, located at substantially uniform distances below the corresponding parts of the track for the upper wheels.

5. The combination with a carrier having two pairs of wheels of the same gauge, of upper and lower horizontal tracks for said wheels, a double inclined and curved connecting track consisting of two fixed parallel branches separated by a horizontal distance equal to the distance between the two pairs of wheels, a switch connecting one end of the outer branch to one of the horizontal tracks, and a switch connecting the other end of the inner branch to an intermediate point of the other horizontal track.

6. The combination with a carrier having two pairs of wheels of the same gauge, of a horizontal track, an inclined track extending from one end of said horizontal track, a parallel inclined track spaced outwardly from the end of the horizontal track by a distance equal to that between the two pairs of wheels, a pair of tilt tables fulcrumed at the upper ends of said inclined tracks, and means con necting said levers so that neither one can tip without tipping the other.

7. The combination with a carrier having two pairs of wheels of the same gauge, of a track for said wheels containing two breaks, a loop of track of the same gauge below said first track connecting the ends of the portions of said first track at the outer sides of said breaks and having a pocket at a distance from the first break substantially equal to the distance between the two pairs of wheels of the carrier and an upwardly opening switch bridging the other break in the first track.

8. The combination with a carrier having two pairs of wheels of the same gauge, of a track for said wheels containing two breaks, a loop of track of the same gauge below said first track connecting the ends of the portions of said first track at the outer sides of said breaks and having a pocket at a distance from the first break substantially equal to the distance between the two pairs of wheels of the carrier, and a conveyor chain having a reach extending parallel to said first track, and provided with flights to engage the carrier at the axis of one pair of its wheels.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

DAVID S. BAKER. 

